The Next Saturday - John Bender

2.

Three hours in and Laura was still reading.

"Christ," Came the whisper from behind her.

"Hmm?"

"How can you spend three hours doing nothing but reading?"

Laura audibly chuckled, "Ideally I'd spend the entire day doing nothing but reading. How can you spend two hours doing nothing but stare at me?"

"Who says I was staring at you?"

"I kept getting this awful itching sensation at the back of my skull.  I assumed it was you.  You better not have given me fleas."

The corner of Bender's mouth twitched up against his will as he answered, "Fleas are the last thing you need to worry about with me sweetheart."

Laura set her book down and spun around in the chair to face him.

"Oh gross.  I'd rather have fleas." She chuckled.

"So would I." Came the response.

Laura appraised him properly for the first time since she'd arrived. He was disheveled as expected, but he wore two different shoes on his feet and his hair, while it seemed like he had attempted to make it look decent, was tangled and seemed like it needed washing. All that plus the look he had been giving her since she'd got there... Wild. That was the word to describe him. John Bender was wild.

She tilted her head as she noticed something that didn't quite fit with the getup, "What's with the earring?"

"What?" He said shortly.

She gestured briefly, "You have in one diamond earring. Looks real enough to me. Doesn't match your style. Where'd it come from?"

"None of your damn business." He spat.

Laura raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, propping her forearms on the back of her chair and propping her chin on her arms.

"Have I touched a nerve? I really didn't mean to, just curious. Honest."

Bender blew a strand of hair from his face in a huff, "Whatever."

Laura paused a moment before turning back around and closing her book. She scanned the room before spying an upstairs office.

Bender attempted not to look like he cared as she started walking away.

"Where are you going?" He heard himself say.

Laura didn't glance back as she started up the stairs, "Uh, upstairs?"

"Vernon doesn't want us going anywhere."

"Yeah and you were expecting me to actually sit there for eight hours? Hell no. I wouldn't be able to feel my butt by the end of it."

"Okay so what are you doing?"

Laura leaned slightly over the upstairs railing to grin at him, "Well if you're curious, come and see."

Bender hesitated as he spied her enter the office, but soon, swearing under his breath, he found himself walking up the stairs after her.

When he arrived, Laura grinned briefly at him while he observed her laying down on the floor, reaching her hand under the wooden desk. 

"...What are you doing?" He questioned.

"Something bad," she replied as she pulled her arm from under the desk. With it came a nearly full bottle of amber liquid.

Bender visibly raised an eyebrow, "Is that whiskey?"

"Or scotch." Laura shrugged, "I didn't exactly ask our librarian.  Saw him slip it under here when he was on his lunch break."

"Although," She continued, "if it's apple juice, I'm gonna be really disappointed."

"Okay," Bender began with a smirk as he leaned against the door frame, "so little miss bookworm has a mischievous side to her."

Laura didn't say anything, but rolled her eyes before putting the bottle to her lips.

"Definitely not apple juice," she decided with a grin.

"You know it's still morning, right?" Bender asked as he reached for the bottle.

She chuckled a little, "You have a better idea then?"

He took a swig before reaching a hand into his jacket.

Laura scoffed as he pulled out a bag of green, "You know how messed up you're gonna get?"

"How messed up we're gonna get, Sweetheart."

"Oh no no. I don't smoke."

"But you'll drink yourself silly?"

"Shut up," she laughed, "mind your business."

Bender appraised her as she took another gulp of what Bender has decided was a watered down bourbon. She had a cute little smile, he had to admit, and she stuck to her guns. Even when it didn't really make sense to.

A few swigs later, and Laura decided that the light buzz was good enough for her. She didn't want the room spinning. However, her brow furrowed when Bender didn't do the same. He didn't stop for a long time, actually, swigging and smoking for at least 45 minutes.

He saw her looking at her, and guessed what she was thinking.

"Don't worry, Sweetheart, this isn't my first rodeo."

He smirked at her and Laura merely rolled her eyes at the awful attempt at a southern drawl. This may not be his first time partaking in such activities, but he was drinking and smoking a lot, and all at once. It was bound to hit him soon, and she had no doubt it would hit him hard.

"You're not gonna be able to make it back downstairs without trippin' over your feet," she said to conceal her concern, "Vernon's gonna be pissed."

He scoffed, taking a final pull of his joint, before stamping it out on the floor. He hopped down off the desk. As much as he hated to admit it, he was already feeling a little...off...

"Fine. Guess we're gonna have to cut the party short."

Laura slid the near-empty bottle back under the desk, "Let's go."

Bender strode out of the office and toward the stairs with just a little more sway in his swagger than he usually had. He cursed himself when he nearly tripped at the first step.

Laura raised an eyebrow, she was just feeling the slightest effects of the mystery drink under the desk, but Bender had gone much further than she had. She had to admit she was a little worried. She reached to take his arm.

"I got it," he spat, "I'm fine."

He gripped the handrail a little harder than necessary, but he did finally make it down the stairs and to his desk.

The pair had no sooner sat back down than the door opened, revealing an entirely bored-looking Principal Vernon.